Editors' Picks: Cruelty-Free Fall Footwear

From the farmers' market to the office to an evening out on the town, VT editors are on the go. That's why footwear that's as practical as it is fashionable (and leather-free to boot!) is a must-have. Here's what we'll be sporting this fall.

From the farmers' market to the office to an evening out on the town, VT editors are on the go. That's why footwear that's as practical as it is fashionable (and leather-free to boot!) is a must-have. Here's what we'll be sporting this fall.

TAMI FERTIG, ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Keep Ramos shoe in Two Tone Oxford, keepcompany.com These cute and comfy sneaks might just replace my beloved, falling-apart-at-the-seams Converse All Stars. Not too girly, with a cozy denim-ish feel, they’re great for wearing around the VT office. Los Angeles-based company Keep makes loads of other cruelty-free shoes too, including a line designed by the band Animal Collective that benefits the Socorro Island Conservation Fund, a nonprofit working to protect the biosphere of four volcanic islands off California’s coast.

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AMY SPITALNICK, SENIOR EDITOR

Dr. Martens Vegan 8-Eye Boot in Black, dmusastore.comAny boots I trust my feet to must be comfortable, but they’ve also got to show some knockabout style. A definite keeper is the vegan version of the 8-eye boot from those working-class heroes of footwear, Dr. Martens. The boots’ springy soles and supple uppers make walking a pleasure. Master craftsmanship is seen in the brand’s signature details like yellow stitching and a heel loop. And thanks to the boots’ genius design, when I wear them with cuffed jeans, my ankles appear trimmer.

These hot-off-the-catwalk faux suede booties from New York-based Cri de Coeur transformed me into a compassionate fashion diva in 15 seconds flat—the time it took to slip them on and slide up the pretty rose gold zippers. While the platform-style pays homage to the disco days, the updated sillouette is decidedly modern and ultra-feminine. Don't let the height deter you: the sturdy wedge-shaped base adds inches without the incline of a stilletto. In other words: these boots are made for walking!

It’s my favorite time of year: The first warm days of spring, when it finally feels safe to put away those bulky winter coats and unleash my summer dresses from their cold-weather hibernation. During this year’s sartorial swap-out ritual, I was surprised to find my wedding dress folded in amid the summery casual wear. It’s not your average bridal gown; mine is short, and a non-traditional gold. It does double duty as a party dress from time to time, and has held up well over the years. But if I had it to do all over again, I might choose something different. Likely something vintage and maybe even something white (though probably not). It would definitely have to be silk-free, just like the original—my ethics haven’t wavered over time. These three gowns are just a few of the possibilities out there for compassionate brides-to-be.

At the first nippy stirrings of autumn, my body seems to sense that even colder winter days loom ahead, so I take that as my cue to unpack last season’s toasty garments from their warm-weather hibernation. The tags on most of my frost-ready outerwear read Polyester, Viscose, or Polyurethane, which are warm-and-snuggly synthetic alternatives to down (bad for birds), wool (ba-aa-aa-d for sheep!), and leather (bad for cows). This doesn’t mean hitting the streets looking like an Arctic explorer; today’s high-tech fibers are stitched into fashion-forward designs that look as good in the forest at they do on Fifth Avenue.

Of all the romantic symbols associated with Valentine’s day, the most indulgent might be lingerie. The word alone conjures images of lace, frills, and bows, but the ancient Greeks and Romans wore fashioning simple, utilitarian garters and corsets millennia before Victoria’s Secret entered the scene. Though the French word “lingerie” originally meant “things made of linen,” today, much of it is made from silk, which requires the killing of silkworms to harvest the thread from their cocoons. This Valentine's day, why not slip into something a little bit kinder.

Even as more and more companies add botanical beauty-boosters to their products, some still rely on animal-sourced ingredients, as well as chemicals that could mess with your health while wrecking the environment. Here's how to scan labels for questionable ingredients.